The disclosure relates to enforcing access control rights associated with encrypted data. More particularly, the methods and systems described herein relate to enforcement, by a kernel driver, of at least one usage restriction associated with encrypted data.
Conventional systems for digital rights management are typically proprietary systems that provide functionality for securing—e.g., via one or more of encrypting, controlling access, or authenticating—shared data objects stored within the system and accessed by users of the system. However, such systems do not typically extend to securing data objects once the data objects are shared with individuals external to the system or for securing data objects created outside the system. Although individuals may implement cryptographic functions without the use of a digital rights management system, such functions typically require a level of technical sophistication unavailable to the average individual. Further, even for sophisticated users, there are a number of well-known drawbacks to standard cryptographic techniques. Compounding the difficulty of secure data transmission, conventional systems typically lack functionality for enforcing access control restrictions associated with secure data once a recipient retrieves the secure data.